Carton opening, filling, and closing mechanism



June 30, 1953 Q. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1953 R. o. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8. 1949 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 30, 1953 R. O. WOELFER CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM 9 Sheet s-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 8, 1949 June 30, 1953 R. o. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8. 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 June 30, 1953 R. o. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet s 08617 0. Ward/6,?

June 30, 1953 0, woE 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLJIIIG, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed 001.. 8, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 7 I 3 I Z //////////////4 i I I 75 05617 0. Ma /2w June 30, 1953 R. o. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8. 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 mm mmmn 1 m June 30, 1953 R. o. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 June 30, 1953 R. o. WOELFER 2,643,497

CARTON OPENING, FILLING, AND CLOSING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8, 1949 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Patented June 30, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARTON OPENING, FILLING,'A ND CLOSING MECHANISM Robert 0.Woelfer, Rahway, N. J. Application October 8, 1949, Serial No..120,285

19 Claims.

This invention is directed to a mechanism for handling cartons, that come in a compact collapsed condition, whereby the cartons may be opened, filled, sealed and .deliveredin a new and improved manner. One of the general objects of my invention is to provide a mechanism that is relatively simple yet highly efficient in its operation.

Another object is to provide a mechanism that can be quickly adjusted to handle cartons of 'dif-- ferent dimensions and do it equally effectively for such different sizes.

' A further object is to provide a new and positive way "of opening up the cartons and passing them along to the :filling section of the mechanism.

A still further object is to provide a new and better way of insuring that the cartons are securely sealed. Other objects will appear to one familiar with this class of mechanism as the specification and drawings are studied together with the appended claims.

In the draw ngs,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of carton approach end of the mechanism.

Figure 2 is a view of a portion of Figure 1 showing cartons in a different position of movemerit through :the mechanism.

Figure 3 shows one of the cartons shortly after it enters the passageway leading .to they filling position.

Figure 4 is aiview similar to Figure 1 but looking from the opposite side.

Figurei5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but from the opposite side. Figure 6 is a plan view ofFigures 1 and 4.

Figure 7 is aviewof the carton handling devices in a different position than shown in. Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a View of the carton handling de- V vices in'the next step.

Figure 9 'isa view on the line 9--9 of Figure '6.

Figure 10 is a view on the line l0l0'o'f. Figure-'6.

Figure 11 is a view on the line H-ll of .Fig-

ure-9.

Figure 12 is a plan view of the mechanism to the right of Figure 6.

Figure "1-3 is a perspective view of the mechanism shown in Figure 12 but lookingfrom the same side as Figure 4.

Figure 14 is a view of a carton afterfilling and showing the top flaps during the closing opera- Figure 15 is a view of a carton afternfilllngand to the right of Figure 22 v(Fig. l)

showingthe final stage of closing the top side flaps.

.Flgure 16 is a part sectional and elevational view showing a carton in dotted lines just after it. has been moved to the final sealing and delivery chamber.

below t'he passageway through which the cartons move to be filled as indicated by line -2 l-2l.

Figure 22 is a plan view below the plane 2 l--2l (see Fig.1)

Figure 23 is a plan viewshowing an exten ion Referring now to the details wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, in the various views, I is a framework of any suitable construction for carrying the various parts of the mechanism which is utilized for handling cartons which may vary somewhat in size. On the framework -I is mounted as by studs 2, a holder 3 for carrying a stack of cartons C, which are held in their collapsed state under some compression by the member 4 (seeFig. 6), the outer 'end'of which is slidably attached to a support arm 5 through an attachment 6 having a flexible member such as a rope l which passes over a pulley 8, the lower endof which is attached to a weight 9. With this arrangement a continuous and uniform advancing pressure is applied to .the cartOnS. C. Mounted adjacent one side of the for- Ward end of the holder 3 is a selector device I!) (seeFig. 11) made up of discs H and I2 separated by a spacer I3 and held to an operating shaft I4 'r-by meansof a screw stud 15 which also holds in place a guide member 16 that is positioned between the head of the studlfi and washer l7.

. As the shaft M turns, the disc H has a cutaway portion a fisee Fig. 9') which insures that the front carton Will be properly started outwardly from thestack and then the full radius'of the-disc will complete the separation and the carton will COmBlIItO engagement with disc 12 until it turns to the'place where its cutawayportion 'b (see Fig.

'10) will completely free this edge of the carton from .theselector; As the selector or separating means I is turned the front carton i moved out of the holder and dropped down by its own weight into a receptacle 29' positioned below the plane of holder 3, being guided on its Way by an adjustable offset finger I9 which normally bears lightly on each carton being released and a downwardly extending part I59 and an adjustable roller I9 and a guide arm I9 which co-operatively act to guide and supply some pressure to the narrow sides of the carton carrying the flaps 6| and 62 as the carton drops into the receptacle 29', it bein understood that the tendency of the carton is to open up by itself after being released from the stack pressure and the extending part I50 acts especially to apply some pressure to one narrow side of the carton (see Figure 4) which shows the carton free from the finger I9. The inner side wall of the receptacle for receiving the displaced carton has a curved or concave surface 20 against which one edge of the carton engages with sufficient force to start it opening, it being understood that when released from the stack there is an inherent tendency for the carton sides, when the stack pressure is removed, for the sides to spread apart. Associated with the curved member 20 is an outer portion 2| (see Fig. 6) preferably integral therewith. As shown particularly in Figure 1 stud 22 is located in a slot 23 of an upwardly bent arm 24 that has one end 25 (see Figure 22) connected to a gearing arrangement 26 that gives to the arm portion 25 an oscillating movement whereby the amount of its swing is controlled so as to move the member 29 a certain specified distance which will be directly explained. When the arm 24 is in it non-working position it is located in a slot or notch 21 (see Figure 21) which allows the arm 24 to move to fully retracted position. Riding on the outer plate 2| is the member or carriage 29 having a pin 22 located in slot 23 of arm 24. Attached to the carriage 29 as by screw 28 is a member 30 the end of which is bent over inwardly so its end will engage the displaced carton and will start moving it in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 6 wherein it is seen that, due to even the little pressure applied to its opposite corners, the carton has been opened up and is about to be moved into the position shown in Figure 7 wherein the small plate member 3| is in engagement with one of the narrow sides having the end flaps GI and 62 of the carton. By reference to Figures 1, 2 and 12 it will be seen that the plate 3| is fastened to and engaged by the chain drive 32 in suitable spaced and equal intervals. Pivotally mounted on a frame support member 33 is an arm 34 held in the position shown in Figure '7 bya spring 35 (Fig. 1). As one of the plates 3| moves the carton forward to a position shown in Figure 8, the carton engages the arm 34, whereby due to the spring tension thereon, a small amount of pressure is applied to the opposite end of the carton. This serves to increase its rigidity somewhat so that the means for moving the lower flaps of the carton will act thereon without disturbing its position into which it has been moved as shown in Figure 8, wherein the member 30 reaches the end of its stroke and has what may be termed a dwell action at this point following which it and its associate parts are moved back to starting position to which reference has already been made.

At about the same time the cartons are in the position as shown in Figures 7 and 8, a lever 36 (see Figures 21 and 22) is actuated by an arm 31 pivoted at 38 and a crank arm 39 operated by shaft 40 that is turned by chain 4| driven by drive shaft 42 to which reference will be made later. The lever 36 acts to close the two bottom end fiaps of the carton at about the time the fingers 43 and 44 (see Fig. 6) act to move the bottom side flaps 45 outwardly as shown in Figure 1 just as the carton is moved into the passageway to bring the carton to fillin position. As the bottom side flaps of the car-ton designated as 45 on Figure 3 are moved outwardly, they are in a position to be carried over rollers 46 and 41 positioned on opposite sides of the passageway construction. These rollers are positioned in small receptacles 48 and 49 held to the framework in a suitable manner. The receptacles 48 and 49 contain adhesive material that is carried by the rollers into contact with the inner surfaces of the fiaps 45 which are held down by spring fingers 59 into good engagement with the rollers.

After the carton is advanced by the carrier chain 32 and the plate or plates 3|, the flaps 45 are engaged by closing members 5| there bein one on each side of the passageway. From here on, the bottom of the carton runs on a track member 52 centrally located in the passageway. As soon as the bottom flaps are closed as just described, the carton passes to the filling position as indicated in Figure 1 where they are filled, in any satisfactory manner by any suitable material; but, since the filling operation forms no part of my invention, no further description seems necessary. The side members 53 and 54 form a substantial part of the passageway for the cartons. These two members are preferably L- shaped and on the base portions 55 thereof there is fastened as by screws 56, guide plates 51, there being separators 58 between the guide plates 51 and the base portions 55 to allow the top side fiaps 59 to pass in this space between the guide members 51 and the base portions 55 as is shown in Figure 1. It is to be noted that Figure 1 shows the ends of the guide members 51 pointing upwardly and inwardly to engage the top side flaps 59 to bend them over onto the base members 55. After the filling operation has been performed the carton is carried forward to the top closing position as shown in Figure 13, wherein the arm 60' first flips the edge fiap 6| as it moves arcuately above and back of fiap 62 after which it immediately changes its direction, by reason of a crank arm 63 and moves the flap 62 in the direction of the arrow to closing position, it being understood that as the carton moves forward the flap BI is moved to closed position and held there by member 69. Then as the carton is moved forward, the flaps 59 move under the two rollers 64 that are supplied with adhesive by the receptacles 65 adjustably held in position by support devices 66. After leaving the rollers 64 the flaps 59 are engaged .in proper sequence by guide and closure members 61 and 68 after which the carton is carried forward by the chain 32 onto an enclosure 69 with the aid of a combination of levers L (Fig. 13) so that the bottom of the carton will come to rest on a circular plate or disc 10. The combination of levers L of Figures 12 and 13 includes, a lever I40 pivoted at I4I to a member of the framework I. The opposite end of the lever I49 is pivoted at I45 to an upwardly bent lever I 44 (see Fig. 13) and a returning spring I46 is adjustably connected between the Pivot I45 and a frame bracket I41. Pivotally connected at I43 and I48 between the levers I43 and I44 is an upwardly bent arm I42. The shaft 99 has anextension I03 .(see Fig. 1 which carries a cam I 49 that engages a member I5I carried on the lever I42 whereby when it is engaged by the cam I49 the levers L as described are moved to cause the free end of lever I44, to which is flexibly attached a push block I52 through the medium of a pivot I53 and a resilient member Hid, to engage the sealed cartons and assist in moving them off the conveyor onto the plate it.

The mechanism within the enclosure 69 is illustrated more in detail in Figures 1'6-20 wherein 'II is a fixed standard on which is rotatably mounted a sleeve I2, which is rotatably held to the standard II as by an anti-friction bearing I3.

On the top part of the standard H is slidably mounted a member 14 having a plurality of fixed arms "I5 and "It arcuately spaced around the standard II. Around the outer extremity of the arms I5 there is positioned plate I! havin a smooth fiat surface on which rollers it run. Each roller is pivoted at it to the upper end of a block 88 which is mounted on a rod -8I the end of which engages a spring 82 carried within the block 86. Each of the rods SI has a channel 83 therein to receive a stud 84 carried by the block 30 and entering the channel 83 to prevent the block 8E1 from turning on the rod 8|. The lower end of the rod SI passes through a guide stud 85 carried by disc 86 fastened in any satisfactory manner to the sleeve I2 as by one or more set screws 81. The disc, 86 carries a screw 88 the end 3- of which, also enters the channel 83 to prevent the rod from turning in the disc 83. To the lower end of the rod BI is fastened as by a screw 89 a plate 9i] that is adapted to engage the top of the carton C shown in the broken lines as the cartons are fed onto the plate T0 which preferably has a circular stop member 9i fastened thereto. Carried by the sleeve I2 is a collar 92 to which is pivotally attached a plurality of levers 93 each of which has a ball 94 attached thereto in a manner as shown in Figure 1'7 for engagement with a circular cam plate 95 carried by the arms 15. The outer extremity of each of the levers 93 is provided with a slot 96 in which is positioned a stud 9'! that is'fastened to the rod ill. The function of these parts shown in Figures 16-20 inelusive are as follows, when a carton is moved onto the plate Iii as heretofore described, the cam 95 (which is, prior to that time for holding the plate '90 in, araised position as shown in Figure 16 and immediately the carton is deposited on the plate TI!) releases the lever 93 and due to the tension of the spring 82, the rod 8! is moved downwardly and forces the plate onto the top of the carton C and as the plate is revolved by the turning of the sleeve I2, the cartons are carried around the enclosure 69 which is circular in form and this constant pressure on the carton on the move from within the enclosure 69, the adhesive has plenty of time to dry and keep the carton closed. If desired, a heat lamp 98 may be utilized in the top of the casing to apply any desired amount of heat to further insure the drying of the adhesive before the cartons C are moved from the enclosure 69 out of the orifice O.

In place of the block 8b the roller I8 and associated parts, a weight W may be substituted for application to the rod 8 I.

The main drive shaft 99 shown in Figure 23 is connected to motor M through suitable reduction gearing and the gears Illil, cam IBI, and link member I02 are so correlated with the other mechanisms so as to produce the'necessary timing relationship, but it may be mentioned in passing that the shaft 99 carries the gear I04 (see Fig. 13) that moves the carton driving chain '32.

Other gear drives are shown on the drawing and may be referred to briefly for example, chain W5, is driven from the shaft I06 and geared to the shaft I'Q'I that supplies power to therollers 64 through the chain drives I38 and I09, from the shaft I ill. A chain II-iI transmits power to the shaft 32 to which reference has already been made. In addition the shaft operates thechain drives I II and II2 for turning the adhesive application-rollers it and. Shaft 49 already referred to carries a gear that drives a chain II3 with an operating shaft I I4 (Fig. 6) which carries a gear I Iii, Fig. 4;, that is suitably meshed with a gear (not shown) on the shaft I 4 (Figs. 6 and 11) that operates the carton selector. A rod IIt operated by a shaft I65 is connected to operate the combination gear mechanism 26. A chain II-I connects two threaded shafts H8 and Iii? the latter of which has an operating knob I26. The shafts I it and i I9 are operatively'connected to members I'2I and HI which are fastened to side bar 53 which forms (see Figs. 21 and 22) one side of the passageway through which the cartons move. On turning the knob I20 the side bar 53 its associated parts are moved laterally with respect to the corresponding bar on the opposite side. An additional support I22 slidable on the rod I23 (Fig. 23) is fastened to the side bar 53. The lateral shifting of the bar 53 and parts carried thereby is for the purpose of taking care of cartons of different thicknessas defined by the Width of the flaps BI and 62 (see Fi 1%) The width of the carton hopper can be varied by turning the collar or knob I24 that is fastened to shaft I25 (see Figs. 4 and 6) carrying a gear and a chain I26, the latter of which is connected to a gear carried on a shaft I2! (see Fig.4). The shaft I25 carries a member I28 and the shaft I21 carries a member I29 to which the side plate I30 of the holder is attached so that by the means just described, the width of the holder can be varied. The knob I2 5 has been omitted from Fig. 1 in order to better show the stud '2 and member I28 but it is shown as above noted in Fig. 6.

From reference to Figures 1, '2' and 4, it will be seen that the bar 53 is also adjustable in a vertical direction as well as laterally as has been described on the support brackets I3I, by slots I32 therein and lock studs I33. This adjustment is to take care of carton having a different length or height, it being understood that the bar 53 on the opposite side of the structure is likewise adjustable as will be seen from Figure 13.

The springs I34 and I35 and associated parts serve as tensioning means for the chain I08 and i139 when the height is varied.

Since the structure or mechanism shown and described herein has many different parts it is obvious that the details entering into the entire construction may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims, for example, the speed at which the cartons are carried through the apparatus can be readily varied to suit conditions without changing parts, as by the use of variable speed pulleys. As shown in Figure 23 the shaft H and its associated parts (Figs. 16-20) is operated by the ratchet wheel I36 that in turn is operated by the pawl I3! carried by the arm I38 which is connected to the link member I02 that carries a roller I39 in engagement with the 7 cam llll to give the required rotary movement to shaft 1 I.

I claim:

1. Carton handling mechanism including, a holder for carrying a quantity of folded cartons with means for pressing them toward the discharge end of the holder, a receptacle positioned directly below the bottom plane of the holder at its discharge end, rotary means laterally displaced from the holder at its discharge end for moving one carton at a time from the holder, in a manner whereby the cartons will drop by their own weight into said receptacle, a longitudinal passageway, having entrance and exit ends as a filling position between said ends with means for moving the cartons along said passageway, means movable within said receptacle for opening up the cartons and moving them into the entrance end of said passageway, means near the beginning of the passageway for closing the lower ends of the cartons before they reach the filling position, means just beyond the filling position for closing the upper ends of the cartons after they are filled, a rotary structure positioned at the exit end of said passageway, means for moving the loaded cartons from said passageway exit end onto said rotary structure having means for applying pressure to the closed ends of the cartons for a predetermined length of time before discharging them.

2. A car-ton feeding mechanism as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said rotary means for selecting and moving one carton at a time from the hopper comp-rises, a pair of relatively thin discs positioned on an operating shaft, one of said discs having preferably a beveled edge which will readily pass between an exposed carton and the next behind it and move the carton out of the hopper, while the other disc acts as a stop to prevent the carton from tipping over but has one edge cut away to finally release the carton so it may drop down to opening position, an adjustable rotary member attached to the side of the hopper for assisting in properly directing the carton from the hopper and a guide finger fastened to said operating shaft for assistin in moving the carton to a position where it is opened.

3. A carton feeding mechanism as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said rotary means for selecting and moving a carton comprises an upwardly bent lever having a forked end, a curved member mounted for circular motion and having a pin located in said forked end and also having an arm extending above and .inwardly to engage a carton when it is dropped from the hopper and power operated means for moving said lever and associated parts to open the carton and move it to the opening into said passageway and further lever means for closing the bottom edge flaps at about the time the bottom side flaps are opened for having the adhesive material applied to their inner surfaces.

4. A carton feeding mechanism as defined in claim 1 further characterized in that said means for applying pressure to the carton after the top fiaps are closed comprising a rotatable plate and means for moving the closed cartons thereonto, said plate having a plurality of angularly positioned plungers located above it and having heads to engage the top of said cartons as they are moved onto the plate, means for moving the plungers in sequence so the heads thereof will engage and apply pressure to the top of the cartons, means for rotating the plate and plungers as a unit and means for discharging the cartons therefrom after a predetermined time.

5. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said rotary structure includes a plate onto which the cartons are moved from the exit end of said passageway, a plurality of angularly arranged pressure plungers mounted above said plate with automatic means for moving them in sequence and holding them onto the tops of said cartons as delivered to the plate.

6. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said rotary structure includes a plate onto which the cartons are moved from the exit end of said passageway, a plurality of plungers angularly arranged on a support member above the plate in co-ordination with the position at which the cartons are to be delivered to the plate, a fixed cam member, a lever operatively connected to each plunger and having a part adapted to engage the cam at a predetermined position to lift the plunger from engagement with the carton to be delivered from the mechanism and then a short time later release the lever so the plunger can move into engagement with the top of a carton just coming onto the plate.

7. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said rotary structure includes a plate onto which the cartons are moved from the exit end of said passageway, a plurality of plungers angularly arranged on a support member above the plate in co-ordination with the position at which the cartons are to be delivered to the plate, each plunger having its upper end engaging a spring located in a recess of a pressure controlling member, the upper end of said member having a roller located therein with a fixed surface on which the roller runs and means responsive to the angular movement of the plungers for controlling their vertical movements.

8. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that said rotary structure includes a plate onto which the cartons are moved from the exit end of said passageway, a plurality of plungers angularly arranged on a support member above the plate in co-ordination with the position at which the cartons are to be delivered to the plate, each plunger having means at its upper end to apply a downwardly acting force to the plunger and means responsive to the angular movement of the plungers for controlling their vertical movements.

9. A carton feeding mechanism .as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said passageway has a pair of spaced longitudinally extending members between which the cartons move and means for at least moving one of said members laterally to accommodate cartons of different thickness.

10. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said passageway has a pair of spaced longitudinally extending members between which the cartons move, each of said members having an L-shaped part which is vertically adjustable to accommodate cartons of different lengths or heights.

11. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said passageway has a pair of spaced longitudinally extending members between which the cartons move, said members having adjustable parts for accommodating cartons of different dimensions in at least two directions.

12. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said passageway has a pair of spaced longitudinally extending members between which the cartons move each of said members having an L-shaped part, positioned with the bases uppermost and extending in opposite directions to act as supports for the upper side flaps of the cartons and guide members for said side flaps carried in spaced relation above and on the bases of said L-shaped member.

13. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said passageway has a pair of spaced longitudinally extending members between which the cartons move, each of said members having an L-shaped part, positioned with the bases uppermost and extending in opposite directions to act as supports for the upper side flaps of the cartons, guide members for said side flaps carried in spaced rela tion above and on the bases of said L-shaped member, said guide members having their ends, at the carton entering end of the section upwardly and inwardly curved to engage the top side flaps and cause them to bend outwardly and then under the flat part of said guides.

14. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said carton opening means includes an inwardly curved member positioned so when the carton is released from the holder it will engage this curved member and another device mounted to be power driven so as to follow said curved member and push the carton from one side corner against a movable stop at the opposite side corner to thereby cause the collapsed carton to open up, an endless power belt having push plates attached thereto at predetermined intervals for engaging the carton at said stop corner to move the carton through the said passageway and a resiliently mounted lever for engaging the end of the carton opposite the push plate to give the carton some rigidity while being moved into the said passageway.

15. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said carton opening means includes an inwardly curved member positioned so when the carton is released from the holder it will engage this curved member and another device mounted to be power driven so as to follow said curved member and push the carton from one side corner against a movable stop at the opposite side corner to thereby cause the collapsed carton to open up, an endless power belt having push plates attached thereto at predetermined intervals for engaging the carton at said stop corner to move the carton through the said passageway, a resiliently mounted lever for engaging the end of the carton opposite the push plate to give the carton some rigidity while being moved into the said passageway, and means located below the lower region of the edge of this curved surface for first closing the lower edge carton flaps and further means positioned on this lower region for applying an adhesive to the inner surfaces of the lower 10 side flaps and then closing them before the cartons reach the filling position.

16. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the said passageway has a pair of spaced longitudinally extending members between which the cartons move and a pair of screw threaded rods spaced near opposite ends of one of said extending members and fastened thereto, said rods being interconnected by a belt drive preferably of the chain type with means on at least one of said rod ends for turning both through said drive to laterally move one of said extending members for the purpose described.

17. A carton feeding mechanism including a hopper for carrying a stack of folded cartons with means for applying a continuous pressure to the rear end of the stack, rotary means for selecting and moving one carton at a time from the front end of the stack and dropping it down into a receptacle below the front end of the stack, said receptacle having a concave inner side wall against which the carton is projected, a device associated with said concave side with means for moving the device into contact with the carton to turn and open it and move it against a conveyor plate for transmission through the rest of the mechanism.

18. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 17 further defined in that means are provided for moving the bottom end edge fiaps of the carton into closed position directly after the conveyor plate engages the carton and further means acting directly thereafter to move the bottom side flaps outwardly to engage means for applying an adhesive to these side flaps and further successively positioned means for closing these flaps.

19. A carton feeding mechanism as set forth in claim 17 further defined in that means are provided for moving the bottom end edge flaps of the carton into closed position directly after the conveyor plate engages the carton and further means acting directly thereafter to move the bottom side flaps outwardly to engage means for applying an adhesive to these side flaps, further successively positioned means for closing these fiaps, means acting coincident with the outward movement of said lower side flaps, for moving the upper side fiaps to open position and for holding them in this open position until the filling of the carton is done.

ROBERT O. WO-ELFER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,094,139 Forte Apr. 21, 1914 1,527,030 Delamere Feb. 17, 1925 1,824,401 Kellogg Sept. 22, 1931 1,922,412 Allen Aug. 15, 1933 2,097,428 Bergstein Nov. 2, 1937 2,114,624 Bergstein Apr. 19, 1938 2,206,203 Richard July 2, 1940 2,318,208 First May 4, 1943 

